Is charity better than taxation?

“I don’t believe that any taxes are good,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said this week. It’s a common expression among some liberty-loving North Americans, especially in Western Canada and parts of the U.S. But it’s a bit odd coming from a man whose salary is paid by taxes. Here’s the full quote:

“You know, there’s two schools in economics ….,” Harper said. “One is that there are some good taxes and the other is that no taxes are good taxes. I’m in the latter category. I don’t believe that any taxes are good.”What do you think the prime minister is trying to say? Is Harper, like his former evangelical Christian pastor in Calgary, saying that the charitable and user-fee models are the best way to support Canadians and build communities? Does Harper really believe all taxes, and the government infrastructure and services it provides, are bad things?This belief is often part of the libertarian philosophy of Ayn Rand. And Harper’s political roots are in a certain form of libertarianism, especially when he was president of the National Citizens Coalition from 1998 to 2002. But does he still believe all taxes are bad as prime minister?This also appears to be the view of Harper’s friend and former Missionary and Alliance Church of Canada pastor, who told me a couple of years ago in Calgary that he encourages his thousands of evangelical followers to help struggling families with charity, not government programs.But is the charity model a viable alternative to tax-funded programs?Is voluntary philanthropy the best way to help the poor, hungry or homeless? Are permanent food banks better than adequate welfare payments, unemployment insurance or old age pensions?What did Harper mean? In a world in which all taxes are bad, would user-fees pay for the construction of roads, traffic lights, schools, hospitals, universities, police and firetrucks, not to mention the 2010 Olympics and Canadian military personnel to be sent to Afghanistan? Is Harper saying what he really thinks? Or did he misspeak?

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